Angel Reese may be one of the most talented players in the WNBA, but there's a dark side
to her success. From having fans harass her to being painted as a villain, the basketball star
has dealt with plenty of adversity throughout her career. Angel Reese was born on May 6
2002, to Michael and Angel Webb Reese. She's a chip off the old block since both her parents
played basketball. Her mother was a standout player at the University of Maryland, Baltimore
County from 1988 to 1992 and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. She finished up her
career at UMBC, went on to play the game professionally in Luxembourg after she finished
college. She also played semi-pro back in the States, and that inspired her daughter
Angel told Just Women's Sports, I used to go to my mom's games when I was younger. She used to play in a little league
and I used to always go watch her games on Sundays. That was something that was always
inspiring to me. The WNBA is no stranger to the one-legging style. Las Vegas A-C-E-M-E
Reese's center, Asia Wilson, is credited with starting the trend back in 2018
While Wilson's purpose was to keep one of her legs warm, Reese had a different reason
for rocking the one-legging look. She revealed at a post-game conference in 2023
I had surgery two years ago on my shin. I have a rod in my leg. Many people don't know that
I've used it to cover my scar. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only injury Reese incurred while playing for the University
of Maryland. In December 2020, she fractured her toe. The injury not only left her with physical pain, but also with a great deal of emotional
pain. Upon her rehabilitation coach's suggestion, Reese decided to leave social media for a while
in order to pick up habits like meditation and journaling, both of which changed her approach
to basketball. She explained to The Athletic at the time, I think it was a growth moment for me, and I think I needed that, honestly. I just saw the
game different, like I was able to mature more by being able to see basketball differently from a
different point of view. In her hometown of Baltimore, Reese played on the basketball team
for St. Francis Academy. She was sought out by many colleges for her basketball prowess but the thought of leaving her family frightened her Instead Reese accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Maryland Terrapins When Reese decided her time with the Terrapins was up and subsequently entered the transfer portal she was still crippled by the fear of being far from
her loved ones. She admitted on the Paper Route podcast, I was scared to go away from home. Even coming out of high school, I was scared
so that's why I stayed home at Maryland. Despite the fear, Reese was set to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks. However, she changed her mind when
she visited the LSU Tigers after an invite from her friend Kateri Poole. Reese recalled
everything was perfect. They laid everything out for me as far as my plan, my goals
and they never promised me points, a statue, or anything. I wanted to be happy again
and I wanted to gain confidence again within my game. She blocked that while holding her own shoe
In a 2023 game that recorded the most views in NCAA history at the time
the LSU Tigers triumphed over the Iowa Hawkeyes to secure their first NCAA title
Subsequently, Reese and her team received a lot of praise from fans and an invite to the White House from First Lady Jill Biden
The tables turned during the next year's March Madness when the Hawkeyes beat the defending champions to secure a spot in the Final Four
Speaking at a press conference afterward, Reese divulged that she had been harassed by fans
since LSU won the NCAA championship, Reese said, I don't really get to stand up for myself
I've been through so much. I've seen so much. I've been attacked so many times
Death threats. I've been sexualized. I've been threatened. I've been so many things
and I've stood strong every single time. While some accused Reese of being a sore loser
most empathized with the player's plight. Reese's then teammates, Flaje Johnson and Hailey Van Liff
testified to her great leadership and called out the media for painting her as a villain
Johnson said, I know the real Angel Reese. And the person I see every day is a strong person
Is a caring, loving person. The crown she wears is heavy. Reese has always brought her sassy side to the court
In an April 2023 game against the Iowa Hawkeyes Reese caused a stir when she flashed the you hand motion at her opponent Caitlin Clark On the surface there was nothing meek about Reese competitive spirit on the court nor was there a lack of pride when she
wrote an ex-post that called out those who doubted that she could attend the Met Gala
and play a game the following day. It's therefore surprising that Reese is actually modest in her
approach to the game. Her winning mentality is based purely on humility. In an interview with
NBC Chicago, Reese expressed her excitement to learn from Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon
while also embracing the idea of starting from the bottom. She said
I love being an underdog. I mean, coming into LSU my first year
being going into underdog and winning a national championship, we don't have no place but to go up
In an ex-post in which she announced her graduation from LSU, Reese revealed the one thing she wasn't going to miss about college, homework
She said in the post, I don't have to wake up and think about another assignment. As it turns out, however, Reese had something else to miss about college
After starting her professional playing career, she quickly learned that the camaraderie she had been accustomed to during her years at LSU
was an alien concept in the WNBA. She told Chicago State of Mind Sports
In college, I had, like, teamwork, and we knew what was next on the schedule. Pre-game meal, I'm on my own now. I'm like, where are we going to eat? Everybody, like
everybody doing their own things. Nevertheless, Reese maintained that she was loving the autonomy
that came with adulthood. Another contrast she found to be specific to the WNBA was how fast
paced the environment around her moved. Luckily, she was able to catch up to speed in no time
Reese was once romantically linked to Florida State Seminoles guard Cameron Fletcher
with whom she shared since-deleted pictures of a romantic getaway in August 2023
Months went by, and in a March 2024 Instagram Live session, Reese disclosed that the couple had gone their separate ways
In an April 2024 post on X, the basketball sensation revealed that she was still single
Since Reese seems to be in the dating market as of June 2024, who would be her ideal boyfriends
Apparently, there's a test, and it's pretty much God-given. The perfect contender has to be taller than her
Reese whose height is 6 said during an interview on The Breakfast Club Short Kings I sorry My man need to be up there When she was asked if there were any celebrities who were hitting her DMs Reese wasn shy to drop names She mentioned Drake Future French Montana and was quick to add
They just congratulated me. Reese believes that she's more than a basketball player. It's a claim that she's got backing for
since she scored an impressive 13 points during the Chicago Sky's preseason win against the New
York Liberty, and all after she attended the Met Gala, in a post-game chat with the press
Reese said she shut down outside noise from the media and critics by putting in the work
I went to the Met Gala, slayed the Met Gala in New York, came back, slayed against New York
It's what I do. She also spoke about not being limited to only being a basketball player, adding
Obviously, I give a lot of confidence to so many different people, and knowing I'm not one-dimensional
Women don't have to be one-dimensional. They don't have to do one thing. Furthermore, Reese's eye for fashion has always stolen the show
During the 2024 WNBA draft, she showed up in a hooded gown
At the Met Gala, Reese dazzled in a custom-revealing mint number that featured ostrich feathers
Reese, who thought it was surreal that she attended the event on her 22nd birthday, told Vogue
Long before the WNBA, Reese was making major money moves. In 2023, she revealed that she wasn't in a hurry to get to the WNBA because she was doing well
financially. She told the Paper Route podcast, The money I'm making is more than some of the people that are in the league that might be top
players. When she was asked about any splurges she had made, Reese let it be known that she was
right in the middle of buying a Mercedes-Benz. Not long after she made the claim, she signed
an exclusive partnership with collectible publisher Panini. Later that year, Reese came to an
endorsement agreement with shoe retailer Reebok under the leadership of four-time NBA champion
Shaquille O'Neal. Additionally, Reese also has a philanthropic side. In an interview with Women's
Health, she revealed that she had paid a year's worth of fees for a student at her alma mater
St. Francis Academy. She said, I gave back to the people who started my journey